Show ContentsNally History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The original Gaelic form of Nally was Mac an Fhailghigh, which is derived from the word failgheach, which means poor man.

Early Origins of the Nally family

The surname Nally was first found in counties Armagh and Monaghan (Irish: Muineachán) located in the Northern part of the Republic of Ireland in the province of Ulster, where they held a family seat from ancient times.

Early History of the Nally family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Nally research. Another 100 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1120, 1653, 1680 and 1697 are included under the topic Early Nally History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Nally Spelling Variations

The Middle Ages saw a great number of spelling variations for surnames common to the Irish landscape. One reason for these variations is the fact that surnames were not rigidly fixed by this period. The following variations for the name Nally were encountered in the archives: McNally, McAnully, McAnalley, McAnally and others.

Early Notables of the Nally family

Notable amongst the family name at this time was

  • Ulick Nally (fl. 1680-1697), Irish parish priest in Tuam, County Galway who posed as a servant to avoid arrest and thereby was able to successfully attend to the spiritual needs of his flock

Nally Ranking

In the United States, the name Nally is the 10,861st most popular surname with an estimated 2,487 people with that name. 1


United States Nally migration to the United States +

A great mass of Ireland's native population left the island in the 19th century, seeking relief from various forms of social, religious, and economic discrimination. This Irish exodus was primarily to North America. If the migrants survived the long ocean journey, many unfortunately would find more discrimination in the colonies of British North America and the fledgling United States of America. These newly arrived Irish were, however, wanted as a cheap source of labor for the many large agricultural and industrial projects that were essential to the development of what would become two of the wealthiest nations in the western world. Early immigration and passenger lists indicate many people bearing the Nally name:

Nally Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Robert Nally, who arrived in Washington County, Pennsylvania in 1808 2
  • James Nally, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 2
  • Nancy Nally, who arrived in New York, NY in 1812 2
  • John Nally, who landed in New York, NY in 1817 2
  • Roger Nally, aged 19, who landed in New York in 1854 2
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Canada Nally migration to Canada +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Nally Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century
  • Mr. John M. Nally, aged 55 who was emigrating through Grosse Isle Quarantine Station, Quebec aboard the ship "Eliza Caroline" departing 3rd May 1847 from Liverpool, England; the ship arrived on 14th June 1847 but he died on board 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Nally (post 1700) +

  • Eric Sean Nally, American rock singer
  • Edward Julian Nally (1859-1953), American radio businessman, first president of RCA
  • Donald Nally (b. 1960), American conductor and opera chorus master
  • Martin Nally (1882-1966), Irish politician and farmer in the 1920s
  • Padraig Nally, Irish farmer who was convicted then exonerated of manslaughter
  • Derek Nally (b. 1936), Irish politician; unsuccessful candidate for president in 1997
  • Will Nally (1914-1965), British politician, MP from Wolverhampton
  • Patrick Nally, British sports marketing businessman
  • Edward Nally, English solicitor and academic, former President of the Law Society

HMS Hood
  • Mr. Joseph Nally (b. 1900), English Leading Stoker serving for the Royal Navy from Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 4


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. Charbonneau, André, and Doris Drolet-Dubé. A Register of Deceased Persons at Sea and on Grosse Île in 1847. The Minister of Canadian Heritage, 1997. ISBN: 0-660-198/1-1997E (p. 91)
  4. H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm


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